CREATIVE THINKING-So many of us are involved in the challenge of 'getting out of a rut' with our thinking, habits, and sometimes just daily living, with setbacks ! 'In a rut' is the state of finding a brick wall in a maze ! Retracing your steps only to take the same path again It happens because you believe your options are limited to what has worked for you in the past, or because you feel you have no alternative. Afraid of uncertainty, tension, you try and try again to apply the old solutions to new situations and end up frustrated, or at least dissatisfied with the results!
-Habits can keep you 'in a rut'. Breaking habitual ways of thinking gets us unstuck !!! PEOPLE THAT NEVER CHANGE THEIR THINKING NEVER CORRECT MISTAKES !

- Creative thinking is a process which helps. It allows you to tap into your own resources. In short, to play with possibilities without judgement! You can always discard the impractical and unworkable, but without more information you could easy fall back into the old patterns.

- FIRST: State your problem as simply as possible - "What can I do? How can I?" SECOND: Let go the need to come up with the right answer or the logical, the easiest. THIRD: Use an effective method for getting yourself relaxed - some breathing exercises, a short walk around the garden, the thought of a calm clear lake, or the sea, vigorous exercise ? FOURTH: Tape record or write down every suggestion or answer that comes into your head. Doing this with a friend will allow you to speak freely. DO NOT JUDGE ANY SUGGESTION. Do not reject any idea for being silly, wrong, impractical, too expensive, whatever... FIFTH: Continue throwing in ideas as you can for a limited period of time (5-10 mins). This will force you to think fast, and will help to eliminate evaluation. SIXTH: Put the material away.

-Let it rest. FINALLY: Go back after a few days and review your information with new eyes and an open mind. WHAT SURPRISES YOU? WHAT DELIGHTS YOU? WHAT HITS YOU HARD? WHAT SUGGESTIONS CAN BE COMBINED? WHICH ONES ARE POSSIBLE? WHICH ONES ARE WORTH A TRY? Creative thinking is a good way of unmasking the hidden needs and ideas that need manifesting.

When we are anxious, tense, busy, working long or erratic hours, or just trying to stick to a tight budget, it's particularly tempting to overlook many of the basic rules of healthy eating and resort to 'easy to prepare' - 'quick to eat, convenience' foods. While there is nothing particularly harmful or unhealthy in eating this type of food occasionally, keep a check on how they are incorporated into your diet, and never rely on them to the exclusion of balanced diet.
Relying on any one food, whether convenience of fresh is likely to run the risk of some sort of dietary deficiency. Keep a check on the amount of 'snack' foods you eat. Single items such as an apple, chocolate bar, crispies, bowl of souf etc., are not really adequate substitutes for a meal, although they can play an important part in the overall well-balance diet for your health. Timing is an important element of healthy eating.
Make sure that you don't eat your last meal too late at night, especially if it's the main meal of the day. Eating a lot of food late in the evening can lead to sleeplessess. The best rule for your health is to use your own discretion, after all, being fastidious about the correct food can be as harmful as neglecting it altogether.

Although headaches are linked with tension, migraines are directly linked to certain foods you eat - in particular, chocolate, cheese, orange juice, wine, dairy produce - so you may need some detective work on your normal diet - also consult your doctor about the problem.

ALPHABET FOR ACTION A-Affirm that you CAN B-Believe you can achieve your heart’s desire C-Commit yourself to a program of un-conditioning D-Dare to try E-Educate yourself. F-Find the possibilities G-Grow, don’t stand still H-Hope is holding on expectantly- there is something good around the corner I-Insight in productive planning J-Junk in the mind ? Remove the negative K-Knock our depression L-Laugh, keep your sense of humour M-Methodical practice N-Negotiate, be willing to start smaller, then increase O-Overlook and overcome. Look over the blocked walls you can’t see through P-Persevere - tough times don’t last and there is always progress Q-Quit complaining that life isn’t nice R-Rationalize and Reorganize S-Share you achievements T- “Tee-off” for action U- Unlock your human values, let them out V-View your goals and ambitions, never loose sight of them W-Work, success is spelt w-o-r-k X-X-Ray your ‘impossibilities’ and your deepest motives Y-Yield yourself, you would have to do this to follow through from - A-Z Z-Zealous for Living - ‘Life be in it’

CREATIVE THINKING describes a process that attempts to counteract the limitations and errors of logical thinking, but not replace it -- A way of rearranging available information to form a new and better pattern. Sometimes it helps to turn a situation completely upside down in order to see it from a different point of view. We often limit ourselves by wrongly imagining that there is only “one right answer”. Challenge yourself to come up with a minimal number of alternatives, giving yourself a limited deadline of ten minutes concentration time. Dwelling on difficulties doubles them. Dwelling on self-trust and confidence- You will be made bigger than your difficulties.
REMEMBER ! 1. Think and plan the goal 2. Rehearse in your mind 3. Decide to do something about it 4. Choose the halfway mark (sub-goals) should you want to return. 5. Make the goal with a friend - YOU choose the goal 6. Practise daily 7. Keep a diary for short notes and also the time spent out alone practising. 8. Watch your breathing - use the stomach 9. Go slowly 10. Congratulate yourself - no matter how small the achievement 11. Repeat the same goal before moving ahead to the next. 12. Try another goal but still practise the previously achieved goal. Each day we’re given the opportunity TO GROW TO REFINE OUR THINKING & BETTER OURSELVES LOOK FOR THE JOY AND THE GOOD Rather than focusing on the negative. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE to deal with boredom and frustration to change the perspective outlook. Adjust thinking for the better. Acknowledge rewards and value of results when a new goal has been confirmed. AND IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY!

SELF-TRUST enables YOU TO - * Really know YOU - * Affirm positively what you are doing with YOU * Yield your selfwill to YOU * Expect positive results from your efforts - * Care about yourself and what YOU have done for yourself- SELF TRUST comes a little at a time. This follow once you have more trust in your body. DEVELOPE YOUR RESOURCES - DO IT NOW! * Be mentally awake, diligent -put your best foot forward. * Settle what you are going to do, and get it into production. * Form the habit of concentration - hard thinking
* Become master of your own faculties - they are your servants - make them develop. * Kill laziness and idle dreaming - transform it into vital productive energy. * Indecision is a waste of time and ability. * Be exact with yourself - put yourself on a schedule. * Learn to use time, don’t waste it. * Make yourself worthwhile to yourself. * Make opportunities where no opportunities ever existed before. * Make yourself ready for opportunities. * What you do for yourself counts for more than anyone else can do for you. * Self-discipline is an important feature in your life. * Mental discipline develops you. * The man or woman who makes no contribution to distructive thought is a valuable asset anywhere.

WHAT TO DO WHAT TO DO WHILE PRACITSING GRADED EXPOSURE
Suppose you are out practising, when suddenly you feel that ‘strange feeling’. If at all possible, try not to rush home.
TRY TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO REST. Sit down somewhere, walk back a little way, try to stay near the place where the feeling started.
REMIND YOURSELF: these feelings can not harm me; I will breath evenly and steadily; I will do some relaxation techniques, I will calm down and I will know that this is a time for me to progress; I will think of all the things I have done and congratulate myself.
PLAN NEXT STEP: now that you are feeling much calmer, look around and start to plan what you will do next; make sure that when you are ready to go, start off in an easy relaxed way - there is no need for effort and hurry. The longer you stay out the better you will be, the anxiety always will die down naturally or better still with controlled breathing which will always prevent a panic from occurring. The golden rule is here, never rush to try and leave the situation, when you have calmly made a decision what to do next, start off relaxed. Don’t even care what other people think, remove that thought from your head. If you feel terrified of crowds you should start mixing with smaller groups of people. This will help your feelings change towards large ones as this will build up your confidence and give back to yourself trust in your body once more. You will discover that it will not let you down, but you have to prove this to yourself first before you will believe it.
TRY TO PRACTISE A LITTLE EVER DAY - YOU ARE UNCONDITIONING YOURSELF THE RIGHT WAY AND YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE DOING IT - WE ALL ARE! .Take the GUIDANCE that comes and YOUR DECISIONS will turn out right.
When you have done that, and all else you can do - DON’T TRY TO DO ANY MORE.
Stop and wait - Relax and be calm - You have done everything possible so don’t fight it.
TIME WILL MAKE IT A PERMANENT REALITY ! Some of you may find yourself not seeing the forest for the trees - not seeing the process for the content - Some of you may be diligently doing your graded exposure programme - relaxation - quick techniques - listening to tapes - filling in your daily report - doing all the practise but still not grasping that getting over agoraphobia involves also a change in the processes of thought, attitude and behaviour that you have been using. Some of you may be focusing on driving or on staying alone or other situations and feelings - Remember that energy also has to be spent on the process of thought! Behavioural patterns that lead to difficulty, regarding the problem of agoraphobia. One of the most important processes in getting over agoraphobia is to learn to be PATIENT to learn to expect that what you do at this minute may not have an effect right away!
Expect a miracle, but don’t expect it right now! Habits are not changed quickly easily; it takes time and effort! BUT THEY CAN BE CHANGED!

TAKE TIME - TAKE INVENTORY - TAKE ACTION !!!! BACK TO BASICS !! There is no set point where one is suddenly into the area of the emotion fear - What is critical is the daily pattern of behaviour or habit in the past! The hardest part IS getting started; being willing to stare, small ( at first) but start wit a strong foundation of knowledge and techniques - Fix a goal of your choice in your mind, one that you desire to achieve. Think about the ways you would practise to start to reach that goal. Write down your goal, your programme plan and the time limit you have set yourself. Read your written statement out aloud every day, concentrate as you read. Imagine yourself actually practising towards the goal and achieving it.
YOU NEED A DAILY JOURNAL AND MAP-START NOW - PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION NOW!! Tell your plan to a trusted friend not a negative thinker. Don’t postpone starting by trying to solve situations before they have risen. Keep adding productive motivation ane enthusiastic reason for you to keep going. It doesn’t matter how small your goal may be. Call for help if needed. Banish perfectionism from your mind. Consider the opportunities around you and use them.
ADD UP THE REWARDS OF BEGINNING AND THE COST OF NEGLECTING TO BEGIN!! Remember and think about the progress you have already made and the knowledge you now have, despite the difficulties, and how you will be rewarded by your own achievements. Avoidance tends to strengthen the fear. It will be easier and easier each time. If you need a tranquilliser to help you, do so, it is important if tackling something new, and to control your breathing, evenly and rhythmically to reduces the fear. If you continue to be successful, congratulate yourself and repeat the same the next day. Remember, you can go with someone, don’t be afraid to tell the . Go alone or arrange to be met at the target chosen by you. After you have reached a large target a number of times, you may not have to do your sub-goals anemone and you would be ready to move onto a larger sub-goal.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR DAILY PRACTISE - IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT MANY OF US ARE DOING THE SAME - ONLY DIFFERENT TARGETS AND DIFFERENT TIMES!!

TEN PRINCIPLES To make sure you learn and gain from ‘set-back’-1. Do not assume that failing to reach your goal quickly means there is no hope- don’t give up ! 2. Objectively examine what went wrong - rationalise it - take what you can from it. 3. Make sure you have the knowledge of the cause of the mistake. 4. The increase of your knowledge of understanding, ‘why’, will displace error from your memory and the situation will be viewed from a different perspective. 5. Move on - do not hold on to mental images of past mistakes/failures, for if you do this is what sometimes stimulated the repetition of the error. 6. Get yourself organised and relaxed - effective thinking and action will result. 7. Keep your self-trust high by stopping non-productive, negative, depressing thoughts from creeping in and ruining the memory of successful sections of the goal chosen. 8. Recondition your mental outlook daily by reading and repeating the constructive program designed to rule out error. 9. Always believe you can do better - but expect and accept failures. 10. Keep trying - keep understanding - keep moving.

BELIEVE and KNOW that there is unlimited potential lying deep within your being that WILL GIVE YOU YOUR OWN SELF-ESTEEM. If YOU run yourself down you’ll soon have those who would boost you, believing you are right and they are wrong.YOU WILL NEED ALL THE ENCOURAGEMENT YOU CAN BECOME YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND. And you will like yourself more and more - when that happens, confidence and strength will follow. Your hardest task will be to believe - “I AM A BETTER PERSON THAT I THINK I AM” .
NOW ! JUST FOR EXAMPLE - SUPPOSE YOU HAVE A DENTAL APPOINTMENT ! What to do once you have reached the dental surgery. 1. Show the receptionist your I.D. card - chat with her about life/weather/her work ? 2. Relax-loosen your body - control your breathing. 3. Sit where you feel comfortable. 4. Talk to others waiting or listen to the conversation going on around you. 5. Watch others/note what they are wearing/describe them to yourself. 6. If waiting alone, go through your iso-metric quick relaxation techniques. 7. Show your dentist your I.D. card. 8. If you are too embarrassed to take portable radio/cassette with earphones (many people do as well as agoraphobics) because some dentists do not have music background, recite poems with your eyes closed. 9. Do not think that you are trapped - your dentist will understand if you need permission to leave for a break, to relax and calm down and re-think. (There are many others who require consideration to help with their tense approach to dentists ) 10. Write a letter/grocery list while the dentist is at work on your teeth. 11. Don’t apologise for ‘being a nuisance’, just a normal ‘Thankyou’ - you are paying for the service - children hold up a dentist much longer than you. 12. Don’t rush home to a ‘sigh of relief’ - do that before you leave - loosen your body - relax. 13. Don’t think it is a burden to take someone with you. 14. Don’t leave it too long before you go again.
YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR DISTRACTIONS WHEN PRACTISING YOUR GOAL???

TRY TO CONTROL YOUR IMMEDIATE REACTIONS It is more important to realise that if you cannot change what has happened, you can control how you react to what has happened.
RESTRAIN THE SELF-DEFEATING THOUGHTS Self-defeating thoughts will come to your mind. Whatever you do, don’t believe them. Don’t get depressed by feeding these thoughts.
DON’T BLAME YOURSELF FOR ANY FAILURES Many things contribute to set-backs - Set-back and failure is no disgrace. Set-back and failure prove that you are human - Set-back and failure can be fruitful - Set-back and failure are not total - Anxiety is normal - just try not to anticipate an attack - REMEMBER! CONTROL YOUR BREATHING - USING YOUR STOMACH Averaging 8-10 breaths per minute - evenly and rhythmically. Don’t go somewhere and do something just to prove you can, unless you feel like it - don’t push yourself - GO SLOWLY. DO WHAT YOU CAN as often as possible. Don’t get discouraged - your progress will be - 3 steps forward and 1 step back - THAT STILL MAKES 2 STEPS FORWARD!!
DO NOT THINK THAT -
TO LAUGH is to risk appearing a fool. TO WEEP is to risk appearing sentimental
TO REACH OUT FOR ANOTHER is to risk involvement
TO EXPOSE FEELINGS is to risk exposing your true self.
TO PLACE YOUR IDEAS, DREAMS BEFORE THE CROWD is to risk loss.
TO LOVE is to risk not being loved in return
TO LIVE is to risk dying TO HOPE is to risk despair TO TRY AT ALL is to risk failure
BUT TO FEEL DEEPLY and to KNOW THE FULLEST DIMENSION of OURSELVES WE MUST FEEL ALL EMOTIONS.

YOUR SELF-IMPROVEMENT Relaxation of body and mind Break the worry habit Make your work easy Know decision making is important Note your joys Overcome negative thoughts Handle disappointments skilfully Wait till tomorrow comes Memorise peacefulness Never think of failing Foster health, vitality, aliveness Use your sense of humour Know how to use your resources. YOU CAN GET ON TOP AND STAY THERE ! Do not assume that having no MOTIVATION or ENTHUSIASM means there is no hope -Calmly and Objectively examine the circumstances. Learn all you can from it, then move away, ‘apart’ from it with a new understanding and ‘know how’. By increasing your understanding and knowledge, this will displace error and you can rationalise in true perspective. Let go of the mental images of the past, because this is what disorganises your thought. Rationalise and use effective thinking before practising and you will have good results from you ACTION. If you recondition your mental procedure by a daily programme designed for constructive purpose and thought, you will definitely profit and continue to progress. Realise that life is full of experiencing ALL emotions - negative and positive. Get outside of yourself and live in the present. Seek inspiration to motivate you ie. friends, music, art etc.. Having interests help pull you out and overcome depression bouts and memories of ‘set-back’, and helps knowing “its great to be alive”.

ENTHUSIASM When the NEGATIVE thoughts and GLOOMINESS are pushed OUT, the attitude of OPTIMISM and ENTHUSIASM do have an amazing result that is NOTICEABLE AS WELL AS HELPFUL TO YOU ! Having ENTHUSIASM and MOTIVATION in you life makes you eager and gives you an excitable attitude towards each day. It is important not to lose it once you have gained it. Your life will not become dull, nor should it keep depression around for long. ENTHUSIASM gives you your full potential, allows you to throw everything willingly into what you are doing, bringing all your senses together, not allowing you to waste thoughts on rejection and failures (rather, fear of failure ) IT DOES NOT ALLOW YOUR PERSONALITY to be LIMITED.

WITHOUT BEING IMMODEST YOU CAN BE AND SHOULD BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT YOURSELF.!

Most people underestimate themselves - to counteract degrading yourself, get MOTIVATED about your own possibilities, and when you become enthusiastic, you will notice the difference of what you think and how you feel ! W hat you do and are - what formerly would have seemed impossible - no matter what aspect of your life or situation may be, you can draw on resources sparked by enthusiasm to help overcome being defeated by weaknesses, tensions and fears. Let your mind accept MOTIVATION AND ENTHUSIASM ! The change is not easy ! But there are two sound, psychology steps to take * CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF YOUR THOUGHTS * UPLIFT THE EXISTING PATTERN OF YOUR ATTITUDES :- “BUT .....! BUT .....! BUT .....but .... I WON’T !, I WON’T, ! WHAT IF .....? What if......? What if ? ? ? ? ? ?”. ENTHUSIASM cannot be productive amongst destructive thoughts - you can change this by affirming that “TODAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME” - in fact EVERY DAY IS FOR ME !!! The practise of new ideas and attitudes may come hard to many of us as we have been conditioned for our reactions to be negative. However feeble it may be, make a start towards becoming MOTIVATED AND ENTHUSIASTIC. Try and keep on trying - you’ll get amazing results ! Most people never use the potential strength of their own personality !

YOUR REAL SELF Your real self, your basic personality has been eclipsed by confusion, conditioning and restrictions. Beneath these factors lies the REAL YOU ! Your real self is:- COMMUNICATIVE You can talk to anybody, anywhere about anything. You may think that you are quiet, but when you remove concern about what others think your talkative nature will assert itself. NATURALLY EMPATHETIC You relate well to others, you feel for other people and their problems. Others respond to your natural understanding and concern. EXCITING TO BE WITH Your personality is exciting when you let yourself be the real you - everyone has exciting characteristic personalities that make you interesting as a person. OUTGOING “Me ?” you ask. Yes! When you relax concern for ‘What others might think’, your attention becomes focused on the conversation, or life around you. INTELLIGENT Did you know the average I.Q. among agoraphobics is 124 ? That’s 10 points above the average. We’d have to be bright to invent some of the excuses we come up with - right ? CREATIVE There is not an agoraphobia who is not artistic by nature, whether it is crafts, gardening, needle work, computer skills, writing while housebound. Your creativity cannot remain repressed. FUN Yes, “Fun”. We’ve seen anxious people who hang tight to their support person’s hand and after a matter of days has dissolved into gales of giggles. We have a terrific sense of humour. ETHICAL Your innate sense of responsibility and citizenship make you a good candidate for anything you undertake. You have a highly developed sense of what’s fair. ENERGETIC We know anxiety makes you feel ‘dragged out’ most of the time, but you have an amazing amount of energy at your disposal when you need it. You are not lazy, only confused and afraid, and that will pass. CARING Your sensitive nature equips you with the ability to care about others without stint. But you have to use the aspect of your personality to care about yourself with the same energy that is spent on others. When you allow yourself to be the person you really are - THE REAL YOU, these facets of your personality peek out from beneath the facade built because of agoraphobia. Start acknowledging these positive and true aspects of your nature. Allow yourself the freedom to express the best you can be !!!!

GUILT -Hints to OVERCOME a common problem :- 1. Rationalise guilt - take the mental attitude that guilt means NOTHING 2. Situations and people can force guilt within you - BUT keep it in right proportion - your mental attitude CAN RESIST exaggerated guilt 3. Feeling guilty is non-productive. 4. Continuous guilt is a habit only - GET RID OF IT! 5. Don’t try to ‘please everybody’ - the result brings you feelings of guilt. 6. Most times you just feel as though you should be guilty. 7. Open your mind, let all guilt out, don’t let if fester into resentment against others or yourself . 8. Make a sincere study of your other personality factors which has created any guilt feelings. 9. Check your mental outlook and the way you speak- do you impose guilt upon yourself in this way ? 10. Make sure that any ‘guilt pattern’ in yourself does not re-occur. A SUCCESSFUL LIFE DEPENDS UPON DEVELOPING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WISDOM than an ERROR HABIT.

HOW TO GET EFFECTIVE RESULTS from MIND FATIGUE
FIRST - Have quiet periods regularly - progress is not effective if relaxation and goals are only practised once every month. SECOND - Think or your programme, your new routine, with your skills, governed by definite rules, at your pace. THIRD - When tense, make sure you spend quiet evenings, this leads to a good sleeping patten. Conditioning your body to be relaxed, ready for attempting your goals. FOURTH - Always practise, if possible, in a relaxed state of body and mind - don’t rush - go in a leisurely manner. FIFTH - Go with the expectation of succeeding - not negative - use positive thought conditioners. SIXTH - Allow your body to be lose, not rigid. Good and happy memories find it hard to remain in your mind and personality if your body and mind are too ‘tied up’. SEVENTH - Think out your week’s programme - solve problems around each circumstance - if you cannot, conceive tranquil thoughts - quietness will come from within to the surface of your mind and gradually any confusion will dissolve. EIGHTH - Practise eliminating defeatable thoughts, anger or grudges - these block the knowledge and peace from remaining in your memory. NINTH - Always prepare tranquil thoughts, favourite scenes that bring peace and also refreshment - like a stream calmly flowing, maybe at dawn, fresh and crisp - for certain situations just not for achieving goals. TENTH - Always expect to remember something that was great or more exciting than before. You will begin to notice many different things around you . YOU CAN ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE RESULTS FOR YOU.

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